What should I do if my tenant won't open the door? Absolutely. Illinois law is well settled and clear on this issue. This web site is advertising material but is not intended to be solicitation or legal advice. My tenants have been evicted through the court system and removed by the sheriff. There is nothing particularly special about the fact that the defendant is a relative that would make the case “faster” or “more special” in a judge’s eyes than any other eviction. Treating your roommate like a … The police deal with criminal matters, not civil matters. Tenants in possession of the property with established residency (i.e. I have discussed roommate, guest, and family member evictions in the past, however, based on the number of recent questions I receive about Illinois evictions of family members and close relatives, I thought a refresher might be in order. The eviction of a family member is always a bad situation. A 5-day notice of eviction is only allowed for failure to pay rent. Some examples of being in breach of the contract include not paying rent, violating pet policies, and damage to the property. In fact, there are times when someone who’s been locked out can get the police to force their way back in to the property! If three adults signed a lease agreement, and one moved out, who is responsible for the rent? Then, potentially, forcible entry and detainer action if the tenant refuses to leave. After all, a family-member eviction involves a relative! He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013. If they have established a tenancy, they are not trespassers,  They may be relatives and they may not have ever paid rent, but at some point you voluntarily let them stay and when you did that, you created a tenancy. This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. To evict a non-paying person, you should give the person a 15-day Notice of Termination of Residence. That’s what I’m telling you. How long should I give a tenant to remove their belongings? It is a fact. Maybe you even sent him or her not-so-subtle email hints with links to find homes for rent. A landlord must have a legal reason, or cause, to make a tenant move out of a rental unit before the tenancy term has ended. Always consult with an experienced eviction attorney when facing such a situation. Serve the notice. It depends on the lease agreement - it can be anywhere from 24 hours to 90 days. Mailing address: Clerk of the Circuit Court Richard J. Daley Center 50 West Washington - Suite 1001 Chicago, IL 60602 General Information: 312-603-5030 In the state of Illinois, tenants who fail to pay rent within 5 days of the due date or violate specific conditions of the lease can be evicted. Some appliance items of value remain. Determining Whether Eviction is the Best Option, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/3b\/Evict-a-Tenant-in-Illinois-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Evict-a-Tenant-in-Illinois-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/3b\/Evict-a-Tenant-in-Illinois-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1453129-v4-728px-Evict-a-Tenant-in-Illinois-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"